Tuan Ibrahim denies Washington Post report of false carbon claim

 

Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the information used in developing the Biennial Update Report was based on national data and published scientific literature. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has denied under-reporting its greenhouse gas emissions to the United Nations, as claimed in a report by the Washington Post.

Environment and water minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has hit back at the report, saying that “Malaysia undertakes a very rigorous process when producing the Biennial Update Report (BUR)”.

The article published on Sunday said Malaysia’s BUR submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2020 suggested that Malaysia’s trees are absorbing carbon four times faster than similar forests in neighbouring Indonesia.

The Washington Post article stated that Malaysia’s “surprising claim” has allowed the country to subtract over 243 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from its 2016 inventory – thus cutting out 73% of emissions from its bottom line.

“We would like to stress that all information and values reported in the BUR undergo multiple stakeholder consultations involving data providers, experts, academicians, NGOs and the private sector,” said Tuan Ibrahim.

“The information used in developing the BUR is based on national data and published scientific literature and is reported transparently.”

He added that Malaysia’s report was in line with UNFCCC requirements which call for the use of the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories in estimating and reporting its GHG inventory.

Subsequent to the submission of the BUR, the UNFCCC will assemble a team of technical experts to examine and analyse Malaysia’s report within six months of submission – with the report subject to another set of assessments where countries can pose questions through the UNFCCC portal.

These questions have to be answered within a month.

“The whole process is based on transparency, accuracy, consistency … ” said Tuan Ibrahim.

“As such, Malaysia regrets the action of the Washington Post in questioning the integrity of the UNFCCC process and outcome.”

The minister is currently in Glasgow, Scotland, for the 26th Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where Malaysia has agreed to sign the Leaders’ Declaration on Forest and Land Use and the Global Methane Pledge. - FMT